Twisting machine for stranded wire



Aug. 3, 1965 G. s. SCAMBERTI TWISTING MACHINE FOR STRANDED WIRE Filed Dec. 7, 1962 WIRE WIHNML LAY WIRE PARTLY INSERTED FOR TWISTI NG FIG. 3

IE AFTER TWIST FIG.4

INVENTOR GE/VNARO 5. SCAMBERTI United States Patent 3,198,220 TWISTING MACHINE FER ETRANDED WERE Gennaro S. Scamberti, Newark, Ni, assignor to The Bendix Corporation, Teterhoro, Ni, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 242,963 4 (Iiaims. (Cl. 140-119) The invention relates to a twisting machine for stranded wire and more particularly to the provision of a novel motor driven twisting machine for imparting a rotary motion to wire end strands so as to twist the wire end strands to provide a uniform twisted end for more efiicient soldering and a solder joint of superior quality.

Heretofore, it has been common practice in preparing a stranded wire end for attachment to solder joints to first strip the wire of the insulation and then to twist the normal lay of wire strands by using a piece of fish paper and then affix the twisted wire end to the joint by soldering. An investigation of such solder joints has revealed a need of a more uniform way of twisting the wire end strands so that the same may be more effectively soldered to the joint.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a novel twisting machine for processing stranded wire ends in a uniform manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a twisting machine including a motor for imparting a rotary motion to a pair of flexible blades providing the necessary holding means to accomplish the twisting action on the stranded wire end turns.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel twisting means between the pair of flexible blades in the form of rubber pads and fish paper positioned between jaws of the flexible blades.

Another object of the invention is toprovide such a twisting machine in which the stranded wire end turns may be inserted between the jaws of the flexible blades and including means for simultaneously closing the jaws upon the stranded wire end turns and effectively energize a suitable motor means so as to impart a rotary motion to the flexible blade like jaws for effecting the twisting operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a twisting machine of a type heretofore described in which there is provided novel spring tension means controlled by the operator and effective to simultaneously bias the jaws to an open position and to cause the motor to stop turning.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism for twisting stranded wire to reduce the labor required in a wire twisting operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel wire twisting mechanism to minimize operator error in effecting a uniform twisted stranded end turn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a twisting machine for stranded wire end turns to insure tighter and more uniform twisting of the stranded end turn.

These and other objects and features of the invention are pointed out in the following description in terms of the embodiment thereof which is shown in the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic showing of a twisting machine for stranded wire end turns.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the V-shaped fish paper insert to be applied between the Teflon blade jaws of the twisting machine.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of a stranded wire end of a normal lay of wire strands.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the stranded Wire end of FIG- 3,1982% Patented Aug. 3, 1965 URE 3 after the twisting operation of the machine by the present invention has been completed.

Referring to the drawing of FIGURE 1, there is indicated by the numeral 10 a conventional rotatable electric motor energized through an electrical circuit including conductors 12, 14, and 15 and a source of electrical energy such as a battery indicated by the numeral 16. The energizing circuit for the motor 10 is completed upon the closing of a suitable control switch 17 including cooperating contacts 18 and 19.

The switch contacts 18 and 19 have been brought into contacting relation through operation of a bell-crank lever 21 pivotally mounted by a pin 23 carried by a fixed arm 25. The bell-crank lever 21 has a first arm 27 extending at right angles to a second arm 29. The arm 27 may have affixed thereto the switch contact 18 arranged in cooperative relation to the second contact 19 carried by an insulation member 31. Also pivotally connected by a pin -33 to the end of the arm 27 is a linkage 35 operatively connected to a suitable operator-operative foot pedal 39. The pedal 39 may be operated by the foot of the operator so as to actuate the linkage 35 downwardly and the bell-crank lever 21 in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 23.

Aflixed to the upper end of the arm 29 of the bell-crank lever 21 is a U-shaped bracket 41 in which is pivotally mounted by pins 43 a collar 45 having rotatably mounted therein a sleeve 47 supported by suitable roller bearings 49 positioned between the collar 45 and the sleeve 47.

Aflixed to a shaft 51 of the motor 10 is a suitable stub shaft 53 formed of a suitable flexible plastic material such as Teflon having inherent lubricant characteristics permitting the sleeve 47 to slide freely thereon. Further, the free end of the stub shaft 53 has provided therein a cleft portion 55 forming flexible jaw like blade portions 57 and 58. Rubber pads or cushions 59 and 60 are affixed to inner surfaces of the blades 57 and 58, respectively, by a suitable adhesive. Further, inserted between the rubber pads 59 and 60 of the jaw like blades 57 and 58 is a V-shaped fish paper wedge 61 having ear portions 62 and 6 received in suitable channels provided in the inner surfaces of the jaws 57 and 58, respectively.

It will be seen then that a stranded wire end, indicated by the numeral 70, after the wire insulation material 72 has been stripped therefrom, may be hand inserted by the operator between the V-shaped portion of the fish paper 61.

After the stranded wire end has been inserted in the V-shaped fish paper wedge 71 by the operator, the operator while holding the wire by hand, may depress the pedal 39, shown in the drawing of FIGURE 1, causing the bell-crank lever 21 to be actuated in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 23 causing the sleeve 47 to be actuated along the stub member 53 in a counterclockwise direction so as to in turn cause the flexible blades 57 and 58 to close about the fish paper wedge 61 with the stranded wire end 76 therein.

Simultaneously with the closing of the jaws 57 and 58, the switch contacts 18 and 19 of the motor control switch 17 are effectively closed to cause energization of the motor 10 and in turn efif'ect rotation of the shaft 51 and stub member 53 to in turn twist the stranded wire end 70, as best shown in FIGURE 4.

Upon completion of the twisting operation, the operator may release the pedal 39 whereupon the bell-crank lever 21 will be biased under tension of the spring member 75 in a clockwise direction so as to slidably return the collar 45 and sleeve 47 in a clockwise direction to its previous position permitting jaws 57 and 58 to open while simultaneously arm 27 of the bell-crank lever 21 opens the control switch 17 to effectively de-energize the motor 10.

Thus upon de-energization of the motor 10, the inherently resilient blade like jaws S7 and 58 are biased to an open position whereupon the stranded wire end 70 may be withdrawn by the operator from within the V-shaped fish paper wedge 61. The stranded wire end will then be in a uniform twisted condition, as best shown in FiGURE 4. Such a twisted stranded wire end may in turn be readily fastened or fixed by solder in desired relation to a solder joint.

It has been found that the aforedescribed twisting machine will (1) effectively reduce the labor required in the wire twisting operation; (2) minimize the possibility of operator error in that it will avoid the use of the operators bare fingers which might otherwise result in having the wire end strands contaminated with body oils and salts and (3) insure tighter and more uniform twisting of stranded wire ends.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various changes in the form and relative arrangement of the parts, which will now appear to those skilled in the art may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Reference is, therefore, to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A twisting machine for imparting a rotary motion to wire end strands to provide a uniform twisted end portion thereof; said machine comprising a motor, a shaft to be rotated by the motor, said shaft including a pair of resilient jaws, means slidably mounted on the shaft for operatively closing the jaws, an arm to operatively position the jaw operating means, an operator-operative means for positioning the jaw operating means through said arm, control means operative by said arm simultaneously with the jaw operating means for rendering said motor effective to rotate the shaft, said shaft formed of a flexible plastic material having a cleft portion in the free end thereof so as to provide a pair of blade like jaw members, resilient cushioning pads afiixed to inner surfaces of the blades,

and a V-shaped wedge member positioned between the pads with each of its end portions contacting the inner surface of each jaw member for wedging within the V- shaped member an end portion of a stranded wire, the wire strands of which may be effectively twisted upon rotation of the shaft by the motor.

2. A twisting machine for imparting a rotary motion to wire end strands so as to provide a uniform twisted end portion thereof; said machine comprising a motor, a stub shaft of a plastic material having inherent lubricant characteristics, said stub shaft being rotatable by the motor, said stub shaft having a cleft portion in the free end thereof providing a pair of resilient blade like jaws, a wedge member positioned between said jaws for receiving and holding therein an end portion of a stranded wire, a pivotally mounted bell-crank lever having mounted at one end a U-shaped portion, and means for pivotally mounting in the U-shaped portion a collar, a sleeve positioned within the collar and slidably mounted on the stub shaft, and roller bearings positioned between the collar and the sleeve, and operator-operative means connected to the other end of the bell-crank lever for actuating the bell-crank lever and thereby the collar and sleeve into an adjusted position on the stub member to effectively close the resilient blade like jaws for wedging the wedge member about the end portion of the stranded wire, and switch means operated by the bell-crank lever simultaneously with the closing of the jaws to effect energization of the motor to cause rotation of the stub shaft to effect a uniform twisting of the end portion of the stranded Wire within said wedge member.

3. A twisting machine for imparting a rotary motion to wire end strands so as to provide a uniform twisted end portion thereof; said machine comprising a motor, a stub shaft of a plastic material having inherent lubricant charaoteristics, said stub shaft being rotatable by the motor, said stub shaft having a cleft portion at the free end thereof providing a pair of blade like jaws, a V-shaped wedge member positioned between said jaws for receiving therein a stranded wire end portion, a pivotally mounted bellcrank lever having mounted at one end a U-shaped portion and means for pivotally mounting in the U-shaped portion a collar, a sleeve positioned within the collar and slidably mounted on the stub shaft and roller bearings positioned between the collar and the sleeve, said bellcrank lever having a second arm and operator-operative means connected to the second arm for actuating in one sense the bell-crank lever and thereby the collar and sleeve into an adjusted position on the stub shaftto effectively close the blade like jaws and thereby compress said V- shaped wedge member about the stranded wire end portion, switch means operated by the bell-crank lever simultaneously with the closing of the jaws and said V-shaped wedge member to effect energization of the motor to cause rotation of the stub shaft and uniform twisting of the end portion of the stranded wire received within said V- shaped Wedge member, and spring means for biasing the bell-crank lever in an opposite sense upon release of the operator-operative means to return the collar and sleeve to a position for permitting the blade like jaws to open to relieve the V-shaped wedge member while simultaneously actuating the switch means so as to effectively de-energize the motor, whereupon withdrawal of the twisted stranded wire end portion may be effected from within said V- shaped wedge member.

4. The combination defined by claim 3'in which said V-shaped Wedge member is made of fish paper.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,336,159 4/20 Rice -449 2,297,174 9/42 Tabb et a1. 140119 2,472,510 6/49 Bennett 140-149 2,488,484 1'1/49 Vander Clute 81420 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TWISTING MACHINE FOR IMPARTING A ROTARY MOTION TO WIRE END STRANDS TO PROVIDE A UNIFROM TWISTED END PORTION THEREOF; SAID MACHINE COMPRISING A MOTOR, A SHAFT TO TO ROTATED BY THE MOTOR, SAID SHAFT INCLUDING A PAIR OF RESILIENT JAWS, MEANS SLIDABY MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT FOR OPERATIVELY CLOSING THE JAWS, AN ARM TO OPERATIVELY POSITION THE JAW OPERATING MEANS, AN OPERATOR-OPERATIVE MEANS FOR POSITIONING THE JAW OPERATING MEANS THROUGH SAID ARM, CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVE BY SAID ARM SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE JAW OPERATING MEANS FOR RENDERING SAID MOTOR EFFECTIVE TO ROTATE THE SHAFT, SAID SHAFT FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING A CLEFT PORTION IN THE FREE END THEREOF SO AS TO PROVIDE A PAIR OF BLADE LIKE JAW MEMBERS, RESILIENT CUSHIONING PADS AFFIXED TO INNER SURFACES OF THE BLADES, AND A V-SHAPED WEDGE MEMBER POSITIONED BETWEEN THE PADS WITH EACH OF ITS END PORTIONS CONTACTING THE INNER SURFACE OF EACH JAW MEMBER FOR WELDING WITHIN THE VSHAPED MEMBER AND END PORTION OF A STRANDED WIRE, THE WIRE STRANDS OF WHICH MAY BE EFFECTIVELY TWISTED UPON ROTATION OF THE SHAFT BY THE MOTOR. 